


Hologram of Skin and Bones

by draconicshinx



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Pining, Unrequited Love, sorry it's not mutual
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26514103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draconicshinx/pseuds/draconicshinx
Summary: G'raha Tia knows he has no reason to expect the Warrior of Light to love him, but he'd be happy enough if she simply doesn't hate him.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch & Warrior of Light, G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light, Yugiri Mistwalker/Warrior of Light
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> listen.... my wol might be a lesbian but I am not immune to sad catboy
> 
> Original Characters  
> Tamulen Kharis: my warrior of light, female xaela au ra Dark Knight main (dating Yugiri since just after the liberation of Doma)  
> Narin Kharis: Tamulen's younger brother, a Scion, male xaela au ra, and Summoner main (dating Estinien since the end of the Dragonsung War, though that doesn't really end up being relevant here)

“So, you bringing the two of us here… was an accident?” The elezen boy (Alphinaud, he said his name was) is sitting on the floor, looking curled in on himself. He has clothes now, thank the gods (Lyna saw to that, and the mug of hot chocolate in his hands, bless her) but he still looks shaken. G’raha is trying to keep his composure, to stay aloof but not too cold, but in reality he’s reeling. It was one thing to bring Thancred, Y’shtola, and Urianger here. All of them were Tamulen’s coworkers and fellow Scions and, most importantly, adults. He knows that Alphinaud was also mentioned in the memoirs of Edmont Fortemps as participating in the end of the Dragonsong War, and the memoirs did mention he was young, but G’raha didn’t expect this young. As if he didn’t feel guilty enough about this whole situation.

The other person he pulled, at least, makes more sense. Tamulen had mentioned him during their time together working on unlocking the secrets of the Crystal Tower, and even besides that, he’d seen his name mentioned both in the Fortemps memoirs and from the scant tales he’d heard of the world after the 8th Umbral Calamity. Unlike his sister and the other Scions, he’d somehow managed to survive and worked alongside Cid and the others in the Ironworks to try to find a way to save the world. By the time G’raha had reawoken, though, he was long gone.

Narin Kharis hadn’t been particularly bothered by the fact he’d been transported to another world completely naked. In fact, he’d strutted around the room and made a point to stand in front of Alphinaud while both berating G’raha for dragging them there and commending him on being able to do so in the first place. Now with clothes, he’s leaning back on his elbow and looking amused.

“I suppose cross world transportation magicks aren’t exactly easy,” Narin says with a chuckle. “Though, for you to fail this many times is kind of hilarious.”

G’raha feels himself start to bristle at that comment. He smooths it down quickly. “Yes, well, it’s a bit of trial and error, I’m afraid. Hopefully with not too many trials and errors left. I’m heartened by the fact I was able to retrieve her blood relative, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“Don’t expect me to do any of the running out and slaying beasts she usually does,” Narin replies airily, looking at his nails. “We might have the same blood, but we’re built totally differently. She lugs around that enormous sword like it’s nothing. I’m pretty sure I’d break my back if I tried.”

G’raha decides not to mention the fact that Narin had summoned a Titan egi using a summoning circle tattooed on his thigh when he and Alphinaud were first deposited here, making him quite capable in his own right. Maybe it’s simply that he doesn’t think he’s as strong as Tamulen?

“Do not worry about that, no one will be making you do anything you don’t feel capable of,” G’raha says instead. “In truth, I am not sure that anyone but Tamulen has the strength to save this world. It’s why I have been attempting to summon her in the first place.”

“Well, we can certainly still help,” Alphinaud says, to G’raha’s surprise. He sets the hot chocolate aside and sits a little straighter. “If we’re stuck here for… however long, I, for one, do not intend to sit idly by and wait for the world to end. We can start making preparations for when she arrives.”

G’raha can’t help but smile at that. Alphinaud is bouncing back surprisingly quickly. “Your other comrades were of much the same mind.”

To his surprise, Narin flops backwards. “Ugh, that sounds annoying. Can’t I stay here and wait for her instead?”

Alphinaud gives him a light kick. “Narin, do you always have to try to find the quickest way out of any work? Can’t you do something for others for once?”

Narin spreads his arms dramatically. “The gift of my knowledge and good looks are enough to give to others. I just want to nap.” Alphinaud sighs in a way that tells G’raha that this is not a particularly odd thing for Narin to say. The Warrior of Light’s brother is not at all what he was expecting.

“Well, if you have knowledge to give, perhaps you can help me in perfecting my summoning technique,” G’raha suggests. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t jumping at the chance to try to find someone who might understand enough of summoning magic to help him make the process cleaner. Anyone who can summon a familiar, let alone a primal egi, with just a circle tattoo and not the incantations and calculations included in a summoning tome has to be well versed in magic.

“Hm… Well, perhaps.” Narin waves a hand. “Explain the process to me later. I’ll get it figured out.”

“You mentioned comrades of ours,” Alphinaud says. “Who else is here already?”

“Thancred, Y’shtola, and Urianger were summoned in the same way you have been,” G’raha says. “The three of them have been here for some time, though, I must admit. It took time for me to get the transportation magic fixed--well, I had hoped fixed. Thancred has been here for four years, Y’shtola and Urianger two.”

“What!” Alphinaud slams his hands on the floor. “But that’s impossible! I saw all of them but three months ago!”

G’raha nods. “Time does not pass at the same rate here as in the Source,” he says. “And besides that, it fluctuates greatly. I believe they are beginning to sync up, but I don’t know how long the process will take. And as you can imagine, that makes it even harder to pull Tamulen from the time stream at the correct time.”

“Ah, so that’s part of the issue,” Narin says. “Well, if it’s helpful, it may not have been three months in our time since you summoned them. Alphinaud and I were both on our way to Garlemald. On an official capacity, of course, with Alphinaud acting as the envoy to Doma.”

G’raha suppresses a shiver. So they had likely both been in Garlemald when the 8th Umbral Calamity occurred. How even one of them survived, G’raha couldn’t guess. “I apologize for detaining you, but given the circumstances, you might be safer here.”

“These sin eaters sound pretty nasty, but I’ll take your word for it,” Narin replies.

“So, if the five of us are here, then the only people left in the main core of scions are… Tataru, Krile, Alisaie, and Tamulen,” Alphinaud says. “If you don’t manage to bring Tamulen back, it’ll be one or two of them joining us.”

“Missing your sister already?” Narin says with a grin. 

Alphinaud glares at him. “Aren’t you?”

“Well, she does have a knack for killing her way through problems, so yes,” Narin says. “And anyway, your hypothesis that it will definitely be one of them is a bit skewed, isn’t it?”

Alphinaud frowns. “How so?”

“Well, the connection isn’t ‘who does Mumu work with’, it’s ‘who does Mumu have her fate tied to’,” Narin says.

Internally, G’raha can’t help but marvel at that nickname. Mumu? Really?

“So it’s not unlikely that it could be Lady Yugiri as well,” Alphinaud says.

“Who is Lady Yugiri?” G’raha asks. He’d heard of Tataru, Alisaie, and of course Krile, who was his own dear friend, but this Lady Yugiri is a mystery to him.

“Oh, well, she and Tamulen have been seeing--” Alphinaud starts, but Narin cuts him off.

“She’s Mumu’s girlfriend,” he says. He’s watching G’raha closely, he realizes, though he’s still trying to look relaxed. “Mumu doesn’t ever do anything halfway, so they’re pretty serious.”

If he clutches his staff a little tighter, he hopes it isn’t noticeable. Again, he tries to keep his composure, but it’s even more difficult.

Gods, he’s a fool. He always knew he was, knew it was impossible to expect Tamulen to reciprocate the feelings he has, even if he didn’t intend to ever tell her--but the confirmation still hurts his heart to hear. He should have known she would already have someone in her life. Someone that wonderful, that heroic, deserved to have a person who loved them at their side. Someone who wasn’t locked away in a tower.

It doesn’t change things, or even make them more difficult, but it still hurts.

“Ah,” he says aloud after what he is sure was probably too long of a silence. “Then that is also a distinct possibility. Hopefully, though, the next attempt will work, and we’ll have Tamulen at our side instead.” He tries to ignore the fact that Narin is definitely giving him some kind of look.

“Well, then, I’d better help you out,” Narin says, finally standing. “Without me, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to get anything done.” If he’s guessed the truth, at least he doesn’t say it.


	2. Chapter 2

With Narin’s help, they prepare the next attempt at summoning much more quickly. Instead of years, it takes only months before G’raha is ready to try once more to bring Tamulen to the First.

Again, it doesn’t work. In place of Tamulen is two more poor souls he’s dragged from the Source. As always, they’re disoriented at first. Alphinaud had suggested they have blankets on hand just in case, and G’raha is glad for that when he realizes the two people are women. Narin, who had boasted that they wouldn’t need the blankets, rushes to grab them and toss them over the two. Alphinaud himself had decided to wait outside the room. Just in case.

One of the people, judging by her striking similarity to Alphinaud, is obviously Alisaie. The other is a raen au ra woman, and G’raha can’t even begin to guess who she is. The unfamiliar woman orients herself quickly and is able to grab the blanket as Narin tosses it to her. Once she has wrapped herself up in it, she quickly helps Alisaie, who is not recovering nearly as easily. The girl’s eyes are wide and unseeing in shock, and there are already tears beginning to flow from them. Her hands grip the blanket as the au ra woman wraps it around her, but it’s obvious she’s not really comprehending what she’s doing.

“What…” The word comes out as a croak, and she tugs the blanket more closely to herself. “Tamulen--no, I couldn’t stop it, I tried to stay--!”

“She’ll be fine,” the au ra woman cuts in, just before the tenor of Alisaie’s voice starts to break. She has an accent, one G’raha can’t quite place, but it might be from the far east. “She’s resourceful. Pull yourself together, Alisaie, and worry about us.” She pulls Alisaie to her feet as she herself stands. Her eyes flick to Narin briefly before settling back on G’raha, openly wary. Alisaie catches sight of him in the same moment.

“We mean you no harm--” G’raha begins, keeping his voice steady and calm, but Alisaie shouts over him as her expression twists in rage.

“So you’re the one who’s been kidnapping us?!” Magic courses through her suddenly, drawing in and taking shape as something in her hand. “Wrenching us from our world and leaving the others to try to deal with our absence just when we’re all needed most!” She lunges, a jump aided with magic, and the weapon of pure aether, a rapier, finally solidifies in her hand. “I won’t stand for it!” The final words are a scream of fury punctuating the blade aiming for his heart.

G’raha doesn’t have time for finesse. He draws a fistful of power from the Tower and flings it up in a shield before him. Alisaie gives out a cry of surprise when the tip of her blade strikes it, the force knocking her backwards to the floor. Before G’raha can open his mouth to try to explain himself, the door bursts open.

“Alisaie!!”

Alphinaud comes running through the doors at top speed, barely sparing a glance for the au ra woman who rushed to Alisaie’s side before dropping to her other. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

The rapier clatters to the floor when Alisaie drops it to grab a fistful of the front of Alphinaud’s shirt. “I should be the one asking that! What in the seven hells is going on? And who is that?!” She points an accusing finger at G’raha with her free hand.

G’raha lets the shield melt back into the floor, the aether soaking back into the Tower. He bows his head to her. 

“I am very sorry for the obvious pain and trouble I’ve caused,” he says, trying his best not to let his voice shake. He’s succeeding pretty well, he thinks, but looking death in the eye in the form of a furious sixteen year old girl with a sword would make anyone a little shaky. “I am known as the Crystal Exarch. It was not my intention to bring you here--I had been trying to reach Tamulen Kharis, so that she might save this world and, in the process, herself and the rest of you.”

Alisaie releases her grip on Alphinaud’s shirt (which G’raha is glad of for the poor boy’s sake) as G’raha explains the events of the 8th Umbral Calamity and the destruction of the world they are currently in. She’s surprisingly quiet through it all, letting Narin and Alphinaud occasionally add things from their own perspective. When the tale is finally all told, he falls silent, waiting for the reactions of the two newcomers.

Alisaie heaves a huge sigh. “I can see now why you’ve done it, assuming all of this is true,” she says.

“I’m inclined to believe him,” Alphinaud says. “I’ve seen what Black Rose can do myself. If it were used en masse as the Exarch suggests… it would indeed be catastrophic.”

“Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we haven’t got Mumu here,” Narin says. “Black Rose or not, if this world isn’t saved, an Umbral Calamity is gonna happen, and the only person who can save the world is her.” He lets out a groan. “All those months trying to fine tune the Exarch’s summoning apparatus… and it still didn’t work.”

"Well, if we are to stay here for the time being, then Alisaie and I need some clothes," the au ra woman says.

"Oh, right!" Alphinaud practically leaps to his feet in his hurry. "I'll go talk to Lyna, I'm sure she'll be able to find you both something!" With that, he dashes off.

G'raha decides to take the moment of relative calm to gain a little more understanding of the situation. "My lady," he says, speaking to the au ra woman, "I'm afraid I dont know of you, though I've heard a great deal about Alisaie. How do you wish to be called?"

The woman watches him for a moment before replying. "It is rude to ask for another's name without giving your own."

By this point, G'raha is quite used to avoiding this particular line of questioning. "As I have said, I am known as the Crystal Exarch. It's the name the people here have taken to using for me, and the only name I have that is of any consequence." He chuckles. "Though I admit, it can be a bit long in lengthy conversation. Most people simply refer to me as 'the Exarch'."

The grim set of the au ra woman's mouth tells him she doesn't like that answer. Unfortunately for her, it's the only one he's going to give.

"He won't budge on that 'Crystal Exarch' stuff, Yugiri," Narin says lazily. "I've been trying for the last couple months to get even the littlest bit of information out of him. All I know is he's from the Source, somehow. The fact that we are currently in the Crystal Tower from Mor Dhona proves that."

G'raha feels himself beginning to freeze in panic. Not because Narin had gathered his origins or had been trying to find out more information about him--he was well aware of his efforts, and the Crystal Tower isn't exactly easy to hide. No, the reason he freezes is because of the woman's name. Yugiri. He hasn't yet forgotten that that is the name of Tamulen's lover.

"Well, seeing as Narin's loose tongue has given you my name without my consent, I suppose I will have to accept you as the Crystal Exarch," Yugiri says. Her voice is cold. "For now, I will join the others in aiding you, seeing as I have little choice otherwise. However, do not mistake my actions for trust." Even though he knows she can see little of him under the cloak and hood, G'raha still feels like she's somehow peering though him and finding all his weak points. "I do not take being separated from either my lord Hien or Tamulen easily. And if you intend either of them or any of us harm, I will slide a blade between your ribs myself, crystal or no."

G'raha suppresses the chill that runs down his spine at her words just barely. He might not be afraid of death, but there are still many things that need to be done. Thankfully, he doesn't have any intention of crossing her.

"I assure you, Lady Yugiri, I have no intention of harming either. Quite the opposite, in fact. My goal is to save their lives and that of many others," he replies.

"Time will tell," Yugiri says and speaks no more. She turns away to look towards the door, but Alisaie is still watching him with open suspicion, too. Narin simply chuckles as he leans against the wall.

Internally, G'raha sighs. He hadn't anticipated dealing with this many other people, but he will have to find a way to make them trust him without revealing too much about himself. If those close to Tamulen don't trust him, then she might not, either. And that might, well and truly, break his heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, the summoning works.

Thank the gods that link was still there in Mor Dhona, because without it, G'raha feels as though he might still be summoning the wrong people. He was even able to speak to Tamulen briefly, though being on the receiving end of her anger was not… pleasant. By the end of the conversation she seemed to understand the urgency at least, evidenced by the fact that she went to take possession of the link itself.

Of course, nothing ever goes quite as planned. Instead of being summoned into the tower, she ended up in the forest in Lakeland.

He all but runs to the gates of the Crystarium when he realizes what has happened. The only reason he doesn't run is propriety--if the people here saw him running, they would think that something truly dire was about to happen. The truth is, instead, the complete opposite.

When he gets to the gate, he sees her already there and talking with Lyna. The both look a bit agitated, and that spurs him on to move just a little faster.

"Commander, if you please, this woman is an acquaintance of mine," he says as he approaches. The look of annoyance on Lyna’s face starts to dissipate and she shakes her head.

"Of course she is another one of your 'acquaintances', Crystal Exarch," she says. She turns back to Tamulen. "In that case, I will no longer bar your way. Welcome to the Crystarium."

Tamulen looks relieved at that and nods. She's wearing relatively light leather gear, with chain mail and some armor plating in strategic places. Strapped to her back is her enormous great sword.

As Lyna leaves, Tamulen's eyes flick upwards, to the Crystal Tower, and then back down to him.

"The center of the Crystarium… that's the Crystal Tower," she says. "How did it get here?"

G'raha knew quite well that she would ask a great deal of questions about the Crystal Tower, and he answers them as they walk towards it. Many of his answers are lies, concocted years ago and tested on the Scions that arrived here before her. She presses more, though--unsurprising, considering the fact that she has traversed the Tower before. Her expression hardens as they walk, her lips pressing into a hard line when she isn't speaking. It makes him uneasy, but this duplicity is necessary, he reminds himself. Better she doesn't know.

"And what of G'raha Tia?" she asks. "He should have been sealed in the tower. He is a friend of mine, and I'd like to see him if he's here."

Those words are hard to lie to, harder than he anticipated, but he manages it.

"There was no one in the tower when I entered it," G'raha says. "I'm sorry, but I do not know what happened to your friend."

"Hm," Tamulen says, but her expression softens. "I suppose that is to be expected. Go ahead and lead on, Crystal Exarch."

G'raha falters for a moment. Her manner has changed, and he's not sure what to make of it. Still, she seems more open and accepting than before. That has to be a good thing.

"Of course," he finally says and leads the way inside.


	4. Chapter 4

G'raha did not expect to wake up again. He did not expect for things to go so horribly awry, for Emet Selch to be there with a goddamn gun. His chest still hurts from the gunshot wound, but he had started trying to heal himself instantly before he passed out, and Emet Selch, to his credit, had done the rest of the job of keeping him alive.

For what that is worth, anyway. G'raha was nearly useless in the final fight. Last time he had seen her, Tamulen was on the verge of the light consuming her and transforming her into the most powerful sin eater imaginable. 

But she didn't. When he wakes up, like he never thought he would, she's sitting beside his sickbed, dozing and obviously not suffering from the light any longer. He can't help but release a sigh of relief, and that jerks her awake.

"I'm sorry to wake you," he says, cursing his voice for sounding weak. "You need the sleep."

She shakes her head, and his heart soars when he sees her lips quirk into a smile. "It's my own fault for dozing off in a chair," she says. "Not that you've ever done that."

He chuckles a little, remembering how she once found him doing exactly that while researching how to get into the Crystal Tower. "Not in a very long time. How are you feeling?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that," she says. "You're the one who got shot."

"But you're the one who nearly turned," he presses.

"Well, no worries about that. I'm fine now." She gives him a grin that looks positively bloodthirsty. "Turned out I could just _use_ it to get rid of it. So I used it to destroy Emet Selch."

This expression isn't one he remembers from their time together in the Source, but it's one he's seen enough times recently. Just one more thing he didn't know about her, that she could take joy in fighting and killing, if it was someone who truly deserved it. He doesn't know if this was an aspect of her that developed while he was asleep or if he simply hadn't had an opportunity to see it before.

"Two birds with one stone, then, I suppose," he says aloud.

Her expression softens into something more neutral, and for a moment, that makes him worry. Is she thinking about what he's done, the lies he's been feeding her since she came to the first? He has a lot to answer for, and he won't shy away from it, but it will still be painful.

"You know," she says instead, "I missed you."

G'raha can't help but blink in response. "You…" _thought about me?_

"Of course," she says. "We became friends, during those days at the Tower, didn't we? I dont have so many friends that I'll just forget one." She looks down at her hands, clasped together now, rather than looking at him. 

"When I first got here," she says, "I could see the Tower in the distance. Between that and the purple trees, the flowers, the sky--I felt like I was in some kind of bizarre dream. After staying in the shadow of the tower so long and thinking of you every time I saw it in the distance when I visited Mor Dhona, there was no way I could mistake it. I came to the Crystarium expecting to find you, you know."

Somehow, this is worse. Hearing Tamulen tell him that she's thought of him, and how often, rakes his soul worse than if she'd simply yelled at him.

"And I lied to you," he says. "Every other word out of my mouth to you has been a lie since you've arrived."

"I understand your reasons now," she says, finally lifting her head. "They're stupid, but I understand them." 

"It doesn't change what i did," he says. "I lied, betrayed your trust, and hid my identity from you. It was so that I could protect you, but in the end, I didn't even manage to do that."

She snorts, and he stops cold. Was she laughing at his attempt to protect her?

"You didn't hide your identity very well," she says. "Did you honestly think a robe and hood was that convincing?"

G'raha instantly feels his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Wait, are you telling me you knew?!"

"Not for sure," she says, "but I thought you might be, after you said there was no one in the Tower. Plus, it's more subdued, but you still act like yourself, you know. Even one hundred years in another world won't get rid of your love of theatrics."

G'raha lays back in the bed, unable to keep himself from laughing. "Is it really still that bad?"

"G'raha," she says, "you're the Crystal Exarch. You've become a sort of living legend here, with an intricate outfit to go with it, all while hiding your true identity. It's extremely theatrical."

When she says it like that, he can't exactly argue. "All right, you're correct, I'm still dramatic at heart." He pauses for a moment, thinking carefully about what he wants to say next. "Even if you had guessed some of the truth, I am still deeply sorry for lying to you, for dragging you and your friends here, and for putting you through such a harrowing journey, but I truly did not think there was another way to save both you and this world."

"G'raha, you don't have to apologize for that," she says. "I know why you did it, and I would have been trying to come myself if I had known about it sooner. There's one thing you haven't apologized for yet, and it's the only apology I want."

Guilt and anxiety grips his chest in a vice. He sits up again, a little too quickly as it pulls at his wound, but he ignores the tug of pain. "What is it? Tamulen, I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you."

Her expression grows serious. "You made a plan to save everyone at the expense of yourself. That's not an acceptable loss, G'raha. Too many people care about you."

It happens all at once, his throat beginning to burn as his eyes well with tears. They fall before he can stop them, and it's all he can do to cover his face in his hands as he starts bawling like a child.

After a few moments, he realizes there are callused hands on his arms and Tamulen's voice is in his ears. 

"G'raha, are you okay? I'm sorry if I was too harsh--please, just say something!" 

He manages to get a hold of himself a bit then and wipes his eyes, though he can't stop the tears completely.

"Y-you're fine," he says, voice a little shaky. "Just, hearing you say that … I'm really glad that we're both here and we're both okay." He's really glad that he didn't die.

"Me too," she replies, and his heart feels so full of warmth he wonders if it might explode. "So, promise me--no more self sacrificial plans?"

He chuckles. "Only if you make that promise too."

"Touche," she says, and they both laugh together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's a wrap! thanks for reading (I might write some more about yugiri in norvrandt eventually too, tho I think the next thing I might post is a short thing about sid and rielle)
> 
> title comes from "letting go" by saint raymond, which is both a good song and a very exarch!g'raha song imo


End file.
